Garment hanger



March 21, 1939. CONEY 2,151,012

' GARMENT HANG-ER Filed April 8, 1937 INVENT OR.

1 Mal/71w a 60/76 BY ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 21, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE csmm more Application April 8, 1937, Serial No. 135,743

40laims.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a novel and improved garment hanger of two-piece construction adapted for ready assembly and in assembled position being securely held against accidental dismantling.

Second to provide a garment hanger of the type described consisting of a spring wire element and a tubular strut extending between the free ends of and supported by said wire element with a substantial spring clamping action.

Third, to provide a hanger of the type described having spring arms terminating insupporting fingers curved through a substantial arc and adapted to be distended in assembling a strut l5 thereon whereby a spring gripping or binding action is exerted by the fingers on the strut.

Fourth, to provide a hanger of the type described which is very strong and inexpensive of manufacture.

Fifth, to provide a hanger having a novel supporting element adapted to be distended during assembly with a transverse strut whereby spring clamping action is imparted to the strut.

Sixth, to provide a hanger of the type described consisting of a tubular strut member and a pair of curved spring fingers engaging the ends thereof, said fingers being curved through a substantial arc whereby to bindingly engage the strut and exert a supporting moment on the ends thereof in opposition to the moment created by a load on the middle of the strut.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out 'in the claims.

Preferred embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational view of my hanger illustrating the component parts thereof in assem-' bled position, the initial position of one of the elements prior to assembly being shown in dotted lines.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view in vertical longitudinal section illustrating a detail of my hanger construction, the position of one oi the elements thereof prior to assembly being indi cated in dotted lines.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary elevational view illus- .50 trating a detail of a modified form of my invention, the initial configuration thereof being indicated in dotted lines.

This invention relates to garment hangers of the type having a wire yoke element and a trans- 545 verse strut or cross member extending between the free ends of said element and carried thereby. I am aware that it is old to provide a wire supporting member for the purpose of carrying a transverse strut and more particularly that it is old to provide such a wire element engaging the 5 ends of the strut. However, the present invention embodies distinct improvements over such known devices, being characterized by a spring clamping action exerted on the ends of the strut by the wire supporting element and a ijurther 10 spring binding or gripping action at the extremities of the free ends on the interior of a tubular strut member. Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral I indicates in general a yoke member of 16 wire of light gauge, No. 16 wire being quite suitable. The wire is conformed to provide a double strand twisted shank 2 and a hook 3 and having garment supporting arms 4 diverging downwardly therefrom. The said arms are initially .con- 20 formed so that they normally lie at a relatively small angle as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The arms terminate at their free ends 5 in arouate or hook-like fingers i bent through a continuously curved and substantial arc. The said 25 fingers possess the spring properties characterizing the wire element I as a whole.

. Extending between and supported by the free ends of the yoke, I provide a strut 1 preferably formed in a hollow tubular form of convolutely 30 wound paper, although other materials and forms may be used so long as the strut is open at its ends as indicated by the reference numeral 8.

In assembling the yoke and'the strut elements one end of the strut is slipped over one of the 35 inturned fingers of the yoke and the arms of the yoke are then spread outwardly until the other finger can be slipped into the opposite end of the strut. As the strut is swung down to receive the second finger, the first finger, owing to its 40 arcuate shape, is placed under stress and effectively bites into or engages the strut, see the original position of the finger indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and its approximately final position indicated in full lines. When the opposite arm is 45 swung outwardly so that the finger is inserted, it likewise is placed under this spring clamping stress within the strut, with the result that, while there is substantial clearance between the outer ends of the arms and the strut, there is an eilec- 5o tive spring clamping engagement between the yoke and the struts, so the parts are not only effectively held in assembled relation but the strut cannot rotate. The ends of the arms project beyond the strut to provide curved shoulders. :25

The curved ends and the finger extensions thereof may be very easily formed during the step of manufacturing [the yoke.

Due to the spring action of the arms 4 and fingers 6 it will be apparent that not only is the strut I subjected to compressive action at its ends by the arms 4, but also the individual spring fingers 6 tend to bite into and binding-1y engage the inner wall 0 of the strut at points ill, ll, see Fig. 2, whereby the removal thereof is rendered difilcult, the fingers being flexed by the strut from the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 to that shown in full lines in that figure to effect this binding action. It will likewise be apparent that a counter-clockwise moment is imparted to the strut 'l at point l0 tending to rotate the shut about point Ii on the opposite side of the inner wall, this moment being in opposition to the moment exerted by a load supported at the center of the strut. The arms of the yoke are bowed downwardly as a result of the stress applied thereto, and this is also a desirable feature as it is not necessary to initially bow the arms to secure this conformation.

A similar moment is exerted at the other end of the strut by the other finger 6. Because of the spring action of arms 4 and fingers 4 referred to, I am enabled to utilize wire stock of considerably smaller diameter than is usually employed for a hanger of similar strength, and thus effect a substantial decrease in production cost.

In Fig. 3 I disclose a modified form of my suspending means. In this embodiment the arms 4 are crossed at l4 to form a loop integral with the arms. This loop is of considerable size in initial position of the parts prior to assembling the strut I therewith and "a relatively small angle is enclosed by arms 4. The dotted lines in Fig. 3 illustrate this initial position.

When the strut is assembled with the arms in the manner hereinabove described, the same are expanded outwardly with a result that the area enclosed by the bight I5 is decreased until the parts reach the relative position illustrated by full lines in Fig. 3, wherein the shank portions If of the wire element cross at H. bight ll above this crossing point, of course, serves as a supporting eye or book, and the arms are subjected to considerable compressing action by the provisions noted for the purpose of retaining the strut I as described above.

The materials from which I form my hanger are subject to change if desired, and the strut The small may be formed, of course. in any convenient size furnishing an adequate, surface for garments carried thereon.

, Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a garment hanger, a supporting yoke member of wire having downwardly diverging arms, and a tubular strut extending between and supported by the free ends of the arms, said free ends of the arms being initially bent into hook-like form and being flexed substantially at their terminal portions to permit the ends of the strut being telescoped .thereover, the free ends thereafter bindingly engaging the inner wall of the strut and resisting removal thereof, the terminal portion of each free end exerting a supporting moment on the inner wall about the opposite point of contact of the free end with the wall.

2. In a garment hanger, a supporting yoke member of resilient wire having downwardly diverging arms terminating in inturned arcuately curved fingers having upwardly directed ends, and a tubular strut oi fibrous material receiving said fingers in the ends thereof, the curvature of the fingers being such that their upwardly directed ends and convexly bowed portions thereof internally engage the top and bottom respectively of the strut under spring tension.

3. In a garment hanger, a supporting yoke member of wire having downwardly diverging arms terminating in inwardly directed curved fingers having their ends directed upwardly, and a tubular strut receiving said fingers in the ends thereof, the internal diameter of the strut being such that the ends of the fingers engage the inner side of the top of the strut in substantially spaced relation to the ends thereof and their bowed portions engage the opposite side of the strut under spring tension.

4. In a garment hanger, a supporting yoke member of resilient wire having downwardly diverging arms terminating in inwardly directed curved fingers, and a tubular strut receiving said fingers in the ends thereof with the ends of the fingers engaging the top of the bore of the strut, and intermediate portions of the fingers rockingly engaging the bottom of the bore of the strut, the arms being under tension and acting to impart a rocking moment to the fingers to urge their ends into retaining engagement with the strut.

JAMES D. CONEY. 

